“Did he do something when he attacked you?” Thade asked, squeezing her tightly, as if apologizing for the conversation. He had no more desire to discuss it than she did, but it was necessary. He needed to know what happened, if only for his own peace of mind.
Tilting her head back, she sighed, realizing the futility in trying to avoid the topic. There would be time to discuss matters outside the war once she’d appeased his curiosity. “No, he did not. Honestly, I think he wanted me to kill him. He practically thanked me after I ran him through with my blade, but it was the Prince who finished the job. Not that I blame him for wanting to kill the man responsible for his brother’s death. It was closure he deserved.”
“There is something I am missing, then,” he mumbled to himself, seeming oblivious. “We still have no idea what caused your odd comatose state.”
“Kyros and Oran tricked me during the battle,” Leyna frowned. She hated to speak it out loud. And to Thade, of all people. “I am not proud to say I let myself become distracted and was unable to break away in time to avoid being taken to Arcastus.” She shifted her eyes away from Thade, embarrassed. “I am no more certain now of what they did than I was then, but they took my blood again. While I was arranging my escape, they did something with it, and Arcastus spoke of seeing if he felt any adverse effects. All I can assume is whatever ritual he performed was intended to kill me. Or nearly kill me, I suppose.”
“How did you get away?”
Leyna recalled the fight in her mind, details coming back with more clarity than before. “My blood. Arcastus said he could not touch it. It seems to hurt him.”
Her eyes drifted over to the entrance of the tent, afraid to find Cadell standing there. “Do not worry,” Thade said suddenly. “He will be gone a while longer.”
“It is just – if he finds you here…”
Lightly, he placed his fingertips on the side of her chin, guiding her face back to him. “This moment with you is worth any punishment. I can no longer blame Enaes for so foolishly straying from the safety of his men just to see your face. I would do it a thousand times over at the risk of death to hold you in my arms. Nothing will change that.”
“I think everyone values my life far more than I do.”
“Cadell is not unreasonable,” Thade brushed a stray hair away from her face. “He allowed me to remain at your side when you were sick. At least until you awoke. He feared your shock at seeing me there.”
“Then what makes you think –”
Thade’s lips against hers prevented her from saying anything else. She didn’t want to push him away any more. Letting go of her worries felt indescribable. What did it matter if Cadell returned? She wasn’t ashamed of her love for Thade. Cadell was already aware of the way she felt about him, from her own admissions, and she no longer cared who else knew.
Desperate to hold him, she gave up fighting back the emotions which welled up inside. Seated beside him on the bed, she pulled him in closer, feeling only a mild discomfort from the injury in her shoulder, not caring about the pain. It wasn’t enough to keep her from Thade. Not after what they’d been through to see each other again.
It didn’t take long for the chill to disappear, their bodies emitting warmth to distract them from the cold lingering in the air despite the stove which heated the tent. The thin mattress lacked the comfort of the bed at Thade’s home in Siscal, but it mattered little. They were taken in by each other. Unaware of anything around them. Leyna lost herself in Thade’s embrace, neither one willing to let the other go until they found themselves under the blankets, tangled up in each other’s arms, ignoring the uneven surface of the makeshift bed. They lay there, cradling one another, the thumping of their racing hearts the only sound.
She clung to him. It was too hard to think about living without him for another year, or longer, if the war persisted. And after it ended, how long would it take for Queen Vorsila to give her blessing? It was absolute torture. The tightness of his embrace told her he felt the same.
They laid there in silence. No words could properly express the feelings they both fought to keep inside. It was heart-wrenching for either of them to think of him going away. Though it was only fair. She’d left him before, and now he would be forced to repay the favor, leaving her there in an empty bed, praying it hadn’t been just a dream.
“I have very little time,” he whispered.
She pulled him to her, tighter, laying her head tenderly against his bare chest. “You could just stay here. I, for one, would not complain.”
Thade chuckled quietly at her words, his eyes staring up at the dull grey color of the tent overhead. The candlelight was dimming, the wick nearly burnt out at the base. From outside, they could hear the boisterous voices of soldiers passing by the tent, making their way back from some unapproved nighttime social call somewhere in the camp. “It must be later than I thought,” he frowned. “I rather hoped to have more time with you.”
“I would beg you to stay, but I suspect Cadell would not approve,” she sighed, a pain piercing through her heart at the sensation of Thade’s body sliding out from under her embrace. Reflexively she tightened her hold, unable to keep him in her grasp as he rose to his feet, gathering up his clothes.
She watched him in the dim light, admiring the curve of his muscles, the way his clothes fit perfectly over his figure, elegant in their simplicity. She wanted to go to him, but she knew their farewells would only be more difficult if she did.
Securing his cloak over his shoulders, he knelt down on the bed beside her, leaning in for one final kiss. As he pulled away, she heard his name tumble from her lips, almost desperate in the sound. “Thade –”
He blinked, his motion to turn away halted. “Yes?”
The words she longed to say were on the tip of her tongue. Did she dare to speak them? They’d haunted her every second since she’d seen him last, regretting never having said them before. Now was her chance to make it right. “I love you.”
His face almost seemed to melt at the sound of the words, his lips turning up in a soft smile. In that instant, Leyna couldn’t remember having ever seen him so happy. Her own heart felt about to burst from the flood of emotions coursing through it. His fingers gently moved through her hair, fondly gazing down at her where she lay on the bed, blankets pulled up tightly around her. Leaning in, his lips paused next to her ear, the sound of his breath sending shivers through her, the words he spoke no more than an airy whisper, but filled with more sincerity than anything she’d ever heard before.
“I love you, Leyna.”
Her throat felt tight, the surge of emotions bringing tears of happiness to her eyes. Their gaze met one final time before he forced himself to his feet, pain evident on his face. They both knew there was nothing else to do other than accept their duties and the distance it required between them. To disregard it would bring more suffering than a single farewell now, which brought with it the chance of another meeting.
At the entrance of the tent, he turned back once more, the hood of his cloak pulled up to conceal his features. “I will see you again soon. I promise.” With that, he was gone, leaving Leyna with the heavy weight of loneliness at her side in the bed.
Leyna opened her eyes the next morning, her arm draped over the bed where Thade had lain, inhaling the traces of his scent on the pillow. The usual nightmares had left her. For the first time in weeks, she slept restfully, content, her heart filled with joy at the thought of seeing him again. He’d come for her. That simple fact eased any fear she may still harbor of his feelings after she’d left him in Siscal. He loved her. That was all she needed to know to be assured they would see each other again.
She became aware of another presence in the room, the soft sound of fingertips drumming on the table pulling her from her reverie. Embarrassed, she clutched the blankets up around her body tightly, sitting up to face Cadell who was seated, his posture casual, watching from a chair behind the map table.
“Good morning, Ca
ptain. You slept well?”
“I slept fine, thank you,” she replied begrudgingly. Her fingers fidgeted over the blanket, uncomfortable with him seeing her in such a state of undress, despite the cover the sheets provided. “You were out rather late, General. I admit, I was expecting you to return before I retired for the evening.”
He shrugged, nonchalant in his movements. She recognized the uniform he wore to be the same he’d been dressed in the day before, his hair somewhat tousled about on his head. Aside from the minor signs of disarray on his person, he looked otherwise calm and rested, a curious sparkle in his eye which served only to make the smirk on his face more unnerving. “I thought I should give you a bit of privacy.”
“Such as the privacy you offer now?”
“I will turn away, if you would like to dress yourself, Captain. Though I recommend a different choice of sleeping attire in the future,” he remarked.
Leyna caught what she thought to be a wink from Cadell as he turned in his chair, leaning back against the table with his arms propped behind his head. Awkwardly, she climbed out of the bed, keeping the blankets close while she gathered her pants and shirt, pulling them on quickly. “You are acting strangely, Cadell,” she stated, her arms folded over her chest. “I am getting the impression you are hiding something from me.”
“On the contrary, I should ask what you are hiding from me.” He spun on the seat, his elbows resting on the table, his chin positioned thoughtfully in his hands as he looked her over. “Do you really think I would leave and not keep track of who came and went from your presence? Your safety is my largest concern, and currently a direct order for me to maintain it. I am merely finding amusement in your attempts to pretend your evening was uneventful.”
Lowering her arms back to her sides, she shifted her feet, uncomfortable with his words. He knew? If he was speaking the truth, it made no sense for him to be so casual. So accepting. “If you know so much, then why do you toy with me?”
“Leyna –” Cadell straightened in the chair, the smile on his lips fading. “I need you to understand the severity of this situation. Come,” he gestured toward the empty stool across the table, “have a seat.”
Hesitant, she made her way over, situating herself on the stool Cadell indicated. She was afraid to say anything, concerned that he didn’t know nearly as much as he seemed to. He was a clever man. It was difficult to say whether he was manipulating her for information, or if he truly knew of Thade’s visit.
“What do we need to discuss?”
Cadell tapped his index finger against the surface of the map, deep in thought over his next words. He stared at her silently for a moment, giving a slight nod before he started to speak. “I know about Thade, Leyna. I know he came here last night. I’m the one who allowed him to do so. But that detail must never leave this tent. No one can know he was here. I would lose my head over it. You may think I jest, but I cannot be any more serious.”
“If it was such a risk to you, then why did you allow it?” Leyna squinted her eyes at him in disbelief.
“Because I owed it to you both,” he frowned. “I have intentionally kept you apart since the day you arrived in Tanispa. Not by my own decision, but by royal order. I cannot say I disagree with the reasons, though when he heard our plans for an attack on the Ven’shal, he came to me, pleading to let him see you. I couldn’t deny him.”
At first she was taken aback by the thought of Cadell having purposefully kept her and Thade separated. At the same time, the truth about the previous evening caused Leyna to laugh in spite of herself. She’d been so worried about Cadell coming in and finding them there. It explained Thade’s lack of concern. “He knew you weren’t coming back.”
Cadell chuckled. “He also stayed longer than I anticipated. But I cannot say I blame him. If I could see my wife again for a single evening, I would stay even longer.”
Her cheeks burned with warmth. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so flustered, eyes averted from Cadell’s, uneasy at the thought of him knowing so much of what transpired. It was unladylike, to say the least. She feared losing his respect. Of everyone she’d come to know in Tanispa, she was fond of Cadell the most. She respected him more than anyone else in the military. He was a strong and fierce leader, yet understanding, with a compassionate side none of the other soldiers seemed aware of, and he made sure to keep it that way. Their work being so closely linked, she’d come to trust him as a friend. To think of damaging her image in his eyes was disheartening.
“Please, do not think less of me for my actions,” she said quietly, her eyes remaining cast down to the ground. “You must understand, the feelings he and I share are not superficial. When we parted ways in Siscal, he’d asked for my hand in marriage…”
Glancing up, she saw Cadell’s eyes open wide, for only an instant, immediately returning to his usual, steadfast gaze. “I could not think less of you for any of this. However, his intentions of marriage do make things a little different. Did you accept this proposal?”
“I did, but – it is confusing. I feared what would happen if he did not return to Tanispa, so I left. Until last night, he and I have not seen each other since we agreed to the marriage.”
“We shall have to wait and see then,” he leaned back in his seat, legs propped up on the table, lost in thought once again. “For now, we need to focus on the plan I have laid out. I’ve been in talks with Queen Vorsila’s ambassadors for some time now, and we finally received word back on some very strong allies. With their help, our forces will be strengthened, and I think now is the time for us to initiate a strike against the enemy instead of waiting for them to come to us.”
“You want us to storm the Ven’shal army?” The thought was ludicrous in her mind. She searched his face for any sign of humor, discovering nothing but determination in his eyes.
“Before Prince Enaes died, he embarked on a trip to the jungle regions in the south, and while there struck up a bargain with the people of Tunir. They have a strong, well-trained military, and their people are some of the best to have by your side in battle. They recently agreed to send aid. We expect them to arrive within the week.” Cadell paused. “But it is our second ally which has my confidence built a bit higher.”
“And who might that be? I thought we already were utilizing every source we had.”
A smile passed over Cadell’s lips, devious in design. “Have you ever traveled to the lands north of Tanispa? Up into the tundra and arctic regions of Ethrysta?”
Leyna shook her head, amused at the thought of anyone traversing the lands in the north. There was nothing there but frozen ground and bitter cold snow. Most people would succumb to death in such climates. “I was not aware there was anything there worth seeing.”
“There is a race of people who dwell there known as the Ovatai. Hunters. Fierce fighters. More cunning than even the most insidious Sanarik. They are, to our fortune, long time allies of the Vor’shai people, though we rarely have need to call upon them, and never have they called upon us.” Cadell tapped the map with his index finger, smiling. “But they have agreed to send some of their warriors here. Once the Ovatai and the Tunirons reach us, we will have an army fit to bring down the Ven’shal. We have received intelligence that Damir, Oran, and Arcastus are within the camps. Now is our best time to strike.”
“And if the attack fails?”
“Then we will all perish.” Cadell’s eyes dimmed dramatically. “Failure is not something we can allow to happen, but the longer we sit here and let them build their army, the less our chance of survival is. Our troops are not getting any more plentiful or healthy. Truth be told, I cannot recall the last time our numbers were in such decline.”
She pondered over his words. There was merit to what he said. To continue waiting for the Ven’shal to attack would be foolish. But to stage an assault against them… it was a frightening concept. They would need every man and woman capable of fighting. “This leads me to one question, I suppose,�
� she said suddenly, reaching up to rub her injured shoulder. “How does any of this have to do with why you let Thade come here last night? You told me this plan was discussed with him prior to your agreeing to do so.”
“You will be at my side in the front-lines of the attack. I shouldn’t need to elaborate any further for you to understand the danger you will be in.” Cadell stood up from his chair, pacing the ground slowly, his hand thoughtfully stroking his chin. “I can’t keep you out of the line of fire, nor do I suspect you have any desire to quit now when we are so close to victory. I simply cannot guarantee your safety. That alone was reason enough for me to grant you both one chance to speak before I take you into the fray again.”
“And if we win? Will he and I be allowed to see each other?”
“If we win, the war will be over, and Queen Vorsila will be free to grant her approval, which would allow you both to do whatever you please.”
“Then I suggest we get our men prepared,” she said firmly, rising from her chair with an air of authority. “We don’t have much time to get the details worked out before the other troops arrive. I will call for the commanders to join us. We will not sleep until we have every point covered.”
Chapter Thirty
The day was upon them sooner than Leyna expected. The Vor’shai camps were flooded with troops of varying races, all clad in their traditional armor, in preparation for what the night would bring. Once the sun sank below the horizon, they would make their move. The Ven’shal tended to wait until the dead of night to launch their attacks, so a strike at dusk would find them unready.
While the ally troops poured into the camp, Leyna and Cadell remained inside their tent, tense and anxious, awaiting the arrival of leaders from the other armies. General Matias took on the job of briefing the Mialan and Carpaen commanders of their roles in the fight, leaving Cadell and Leyna to welcome the Tuniron and Ovatai leaders and work out the final details of the plan.
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 92
